D440 vs D800

[no32]

What is the prices you can get the D440 & D800 for?

If you can get the D800 for substantial less...go for it.

Forget about the Power Difference in the model naming of the Devialets. Sure the D800 can put out more Watts than the D440 but the difference in sound doesn't come from the power.
As the D's (up from the D200) of one series (old series vs. pro series) are technically all the same inside Devialet managed to give a profound sound difference by processing the signal in the ADH circuit (ok, my assumption). That's the main difference in sound they have and the higher the number in the models the more transparent/precise/finer and powerful they sound.

The tweaks.

Pim is right with room, seating and speaker position, but you didn't mean that, right? All by it you have to do this anyway no matter the amp.

First.
Good power is the one substantial source for good sound. I mean...it IS the source of the electrons runing through the coil of your loudspeakers, isn't it?
By power I mean clean unprocessed power. No filter (even no parallels)...get a dedicated straight and uncut power line from a dedicated audio fuse to your audio system. Get a very good power cable.
The 'old' D's prize it when the original IEC inlet is excavated. There is a very cheaply filter circuit in it. Buy a Furutech or else and screw it in there (needs soldering!).

Second.
The binding posts Devialet uses are cheap crappy chinese stuff. Change them to better ones (Furutech, WBT) of pure copper or pure silver. Metall depends on your liking of sound.
If you want to change them this goes...

Third.
...together with the excavation of the riserboard they are connected to. This mod I didn't expect its 'Blows Me Away' impact. But also this is the one where you have to have skills in soldering and you have to be brave enough to do it  , or you let it be done by someone else who has the skills.

There is a fourth tweak (that actually comes first and has the most impact in sound) but for that the amps have to be here in my hands and it costs you some bucks because it's an invention by me. But I would shift that one as you can not hear and compare it in shops now, though you can hear it if you ever come to Berlin and contact me beforehand  .

If you do all the mods the sound will blow you away I promise. For me the 3 mods at the top are all concerned as 'bottlenecks for good sound'...and the PROs do still have them (little less with the IEC as the filter parts on the mainboard are 'bigger' now).

The PROs are more precise due to the improved ADH but only get a tiny bit of the improvement through up to the binding posts. That said a modified D440 would drive circles around a D800/(D1000) but you will definitely loose your 5y warranty.

gui

Very interesting ... my room and speaker position is good enough
I have direct line to the system and built my own ground but you took it few steps further , I think it's time to tweak them
Thank you